Aurora Rising (17 page)

“Thank you.”

She nodded, and Keyen headed for the recovery room.

“Oh, Keyen.”

He turned back. “Yes.”

“Just don’t raise her blood pressure too rapidly. Her body has had enough stress, and I want to keep her calm and stable.” The teasing glint in the woman’s eyes nullified the comment.

“Matchmaking, Areathea?” Keyen asked with a smile of his own.

“I hardly think that is necessary. You two found each other all on your own. Congratulations.”

“Thank you.” Keyen grinned in acceptance, not surprised Areathea had already deduced his and Rori’s relationship. He wondered how many others had. Then again maybe Rori saving his life had announced it to all. He rubbed his hand over the tender spot on his chest. Even though it had been only a short time since he woke, the area had already lost much of its soreness.

His eyes rested on Rori, and he knew nothing would ever take her from him. Stepping into the room, he felt his own pulse jump. She was so beautiful. There was a dream like quality about her, but she was real − real and a part of him, like the beat of his heart.

He’d planned on moving a chair next to the bed but at the sight of the recovery bed he’d been on still beside hers, he changed his mind. Slipping up on it, he stretched out next to her. Supporting himself on one elbow, Keyen reached out with his other hand to touch her cheek and received a small sigh for the caress. Leaning over, he brushed his lips lightly over hers. Rori made a slight shift and turned her face toward him.

Joy spread through Keyen at the motion, and he stroked again and was rewarded with another sigh.

Rori drifted on a cloud of warmth. There was no dream just pleasure and love.
Keyen.
The name didn’t come as much to her mind as it filled her. From the instant she’d accepted him as her heart-mate, she knew that was what he was, his presence glided along her senses.

“Keyen,” she echoed his name consciously, and this time, it brought back tendrils of pain and fear.

“Keyen!” she cried out, reaching for mind and body.

“Shh, I’m here.” The words were within and aloud.

She opened her eyes and looked into the liquid gold of his eyes. “Keyen.”

Love caressed her like the finger on her cheek.

He smiled down as he leaned over her. “How are you?”

“Tired, I have a slight headache,” she answered without much thought, her eyes drinking in the pleasure of him there. She raised her hand, running a finger over the stubble on his face. She’d never seen him anything but clean shaven. She gasped as the movement brought the lingering of pain in her shoulder.

“Easy.” He reacted immediately, catching her hand, wrapping his fingers around it, bringing it to his chest. His other hand cradled her cheek. “It’s all right.”

Rori felt waves of reassurance come off him with undercurrents of concern which stirred up traces of fear. “I almost lost you.” She tightened her fingers on his.

“And I almost lost you.” The pain infused in his words was so strong she understood the meaning. His words confirmed it. “They almost lost both of us. What you did, the risk was too great, but thank you.”

“What I did?” Confusion filled her along with the memory of pain.

His hand on her cheek lowered to her shoulder gliding over the skin revealed above the edge of the blanket. Her heart jerked at the contact, but there was a rightness in his touch.

“You saved me − healed me.”

“I can’t….” She broke off at the memory of him slipping away and the knowledge of him dying. Her eyes followed the movement of his hand on her shoulder. There just above the edge of the blanket was an area of faint pink scaring. Her mind wanted to cling to the acceptable thought that she had been injured herself, but she knew it was wrong. The vision of the wound on Keyen came, and with it the lingering helplessness of wanting to take away his pain and to make him better.

“It seems you can.” Keyen’s husky words brought her back to the present. “You just did it in an unorthodox manner, which I’ll yell at you for later because it’s too dangerous, for now.” He leaned down.

Rori only got a second to prepare before his lips covered hers. The kiss was deep, full of pleasure and promise.

“I thought I said something about keeping her calm.” Areathea’s voice came from outside the room.

“I’m just saying thank you,” Keyen said loud enough to carry, raising his head, while smiling back at her.

Rori didn’t miss the wickedness in his look, and her heart jumped.

“I am trying to run her vitals,” Areathea called out. Then she appeared at the door. “I think I’m going to have to kick you out, so I can get a steady enough reading to release her.”

“She’s fine to go?” Keyen asked what Rori was going to.

“Rori is fine except you’re playing havoc with her pulse.”

“I can go?” Rori got out before they could keep talking around her.

Areathea turned her full attention to her. “Not quite. I want to run a couple tests first on your talent levels, and then Narrasa wants to do another talent-eval. We want to see if there are lingering signs of retention on this new talent of yours and, if so, how strong.”

“There’s a concern?” Keyen interrupted, obviously picking up the same unsaid comment Rori did.

“We want to know if it could become detrimental to you.” Areathea kept her focus on Rori. “If it looks to be a major risk, we may want to try placing a block on it.”

“A block?” Rori felt a twinge of unease.

“It’s not quite what it sounds,” Areathea reassured. “We cannot actually block the talent with restraints which would block all your talents. What we would do is set a monitoring alert, so when your vitals showed a major distress in using that talent and your life force dropped too low, we could decide to,” she paused, “render you unconscious. But,” she hurried on, “there are many things we need to plot and take into consideration before we decide on that action, and you will have the final say in it. Now, Keyen, I’m afraid you’ll have to leave. I want her to eat before Narrasa gets here.”

“Can’t I stay?”

Compassion shone from the woman but she hid it with a playful glint in her eyes. “No, she needs to get dressed, and I think it might be possible that your presence in the room would distort the test.”

Rori could sense Keyen’s objection rising and squeezed with the hand he still held.  “I’m afraid she’s right. There is no way, with you in the room, it wouldn’t skew the test. My focus would slip to you especially with what just happened and there would be overflow from you. There is also a connection that is developing between us that could muddy the testing.”

“She is correct on that. The bond is quite evident and would hamper the testing. Besides, it would be a good idea if you went and got a good meal yourself. Your body is still recovering, and, after the energy output from the confrontation, needs extra fortification.” The med-tech was subtly edging him to the door.

“Can I at least kiss her good-bye?” Keyen asked.

Areathea’s eyebrow rose slightly, and her lips tightened in an effort to keep back a smile. “I think not.” She motioned him off the table. “You’ve already made her heartbeat race enough today. Now, go.” She made a shooing motion, driving him out the door. Rori broke out laughing at the look on his face as the door slid behind him, closing him out.

The smile slipped free as Areathea turned back to Rori. “Sometimes you just have to leave men wanting more.” Areathea couldn’t keep back her own laughter.

“Now that’s good.” Areathea smiled. “Why don’t you get changed? There is a fresh uniform for you. I’ll have something for you to eat when you come out. And quit worrying about Keyen. He’ll be fine. I’ll be waiting in the outside room.”

Rori sat still a minute after the woman left, taking in everything that had happened. The main thing that burned in her mind was that Keyen was all right. Safe, whole, and there was no doubt of their love.

She felt tears rise and wiped them away. It was no time for tears. Everything was fine. She pushed off the table, going to her clothes. Dressed, except her shirt, she paused to study the scar on her shoulder. Raising her fingers, she traced the outer edge. The skin was pink and tender.

Rori shuddered. She didn’t care if she carried the scar forever. It was the pain of almost losing Keyen she never wanted to face again. Still, she couldn’t quite get past the lingering memory of Keyen’s life force slipping through her fingers. She pushed it down and pulled on her shirt and vest.

When Rori stepped out of the room, Areathea waited for her. “What is it?” the woman asked, looking up.

“Keyen, is he all right, really?”

Reassurance flowed to her. “Yes, Keyen is totally fine. It was close, but you got to him in time. I don’t know how you were able to hold him and repair so much damage while fighting through what you took onto yourself. Anyway, with what you did, it was nothing for us to finish healing him. He will be up to strength probably by tomorrow. You might take a day or so longer.”

Rori reached up and touched the area on her shoulder.

“The scar will fade,” Areathea answered for her.

“I’m not worried about it. It was worth it.”

“Yes, I’m sure you feel that way, but I wanted you to know it will continue to heal. I’m not quite sure why we couldn’t get it to heal completely.” A wave of puzzlement came off the medic.

“Several of us worked on it. The only thing we can think of is that because it was your own talent induced and your body was already working on it in its own way, it was resistant to our assistance. Still we were able to help on the major damage.”

“I’ve never heard of … taking another’s injuries.” Rori waited for what Areathea was going to say.

“There have been old rumors which date back even before ‘talents’ where people were known to have healing abilities. They were actually thought of as magic. Of course, now we know different, that it’s just aspects of certain people.” The woman was quiet a minute. “I will say, it will be interesting what your children will be like with the strength you and Keyen both have.”

Rori felt herself blush and a thrill went through her at the idea of having Keyen’s baby. She tried to temper it. “I think it is too early for that. We’ve only just met.”

“It doesn’t matter. You two are bonded more fully than any ceremony can bring. The link is there.”

“When I saved him−”

“No.” Areathea cut her off. “Don’t even think that you forced a bond. If you want to know, I felt it strong the evening Keyen brought you here to put in your IPI that first week.”

Rori stared in disbelief.

“I’m serious. It was so strong I ran a compatibility check on you two. The match is extremely high. It’s almost like you were made for each other. You soothe Keyen. That has been a great concern. With as strong as his talent is, he has always had to fight to hold it in check so as not to overwhelm him, like when it first manifested itself. I don’t know if you know the story but he was quit explosive. He was running hot for days. We even had to use binders to dampen him.”

“We were afraid for a while he’d burn out or we would lose him. It was your grandfather who helped him get a handle on his talent. Even Jattin got singed a couple times before Keyen mastered his control. But with you, there is a shift in him. You don’t dampen him. It’s more like you calm the energy fluctuating in him. I don’t think he even realizes it, but it’s good for him. But, don’t for a minute think he craves you just for the comfort you bring him because you also ignite his senses. He almost crackles with desire around you.”

Rori felt herself blushing, but Areathea was already continuing.

“It’s also good for you the way your empathy is growing. Keyen feeds and stabilizes it. You could say, focuses or completes it. You will need that for your children. They will be strong. I think, I can safely guarantee that. They will need your understanding and guidance.”

“So you don’t think the bond between us is just locked to the calming I bring to him?” Rori asked for some assurance.

“Oh no, the attraction literally hums off both of you. If it was just sexual interest, I would be worried. That’s why I ran a compatibility scan. You two are perfect. It’s as I said, it is like you were made for each other, true soulmates. Using all the data, the computer wouldn’t have been able to find a stronger match.”

Rori was aware sometimes computer matching was used, especially to check matches of high talents, so incompatibilities didn’t happen. Still, it was a strange idea to her. And she wasn’t quite sure what she thought of it. Before Rori could ask more, the door opened and a petite woman entered carrying a tray of food.

“Oh, Edda, thank you.” Areathea turned to her.

“Rori, you sit there and eat.” Areathea motioned her to a desk, and Rori was aware of the smaller woman’s attention focused on her. After a second, as if realizing she still held the tray, Edda followed her over, nervousness and interest flowing from her in unmistakable currents.

“Thank you,” Rori smiled reassuringly, while nudging tendrils of comfort toward the woman as she placed the tray in front of her.

“Oh, Rori, haven’t you met Edda yet?” Areathea spoke, obviously picking up her action.

“No, I haven’t. Hello.”

The greeting the petite woman sent back was shielded by the fall of her hair over her downturned face.

“Thank you,” Rori repeated.

Edda nodded, heading rapidly for the door. She paused and glanced back a second before disappearing out the door, leaving behind the lingering feelings of what felt like fear, anxiety and guilt that had Rori puzzled. She wondered if what she did saving Keyen would make everyone nervous around her, though Areathea didn’t seem bothered by it.

“I forget how new you are,” Areathea said, placing an odd looking instrument in the cabinet.

“Does what I did make everyone nervous?” Rori decided to broach the question.

“What? No.” The woman turned to look at her, perplexed. “Oh, Edda. Don’t worry about her reaction. She’s always nervous. I’m afraid she won’t be remaining here much longer. It is truly sad. When she came here, she showed so much promise. A strong mid-level talent but it doesn’t seem to be steady and she has difficulty controlling it. We don’t dare use her on anything difficult. She’s just too unstable. Actually, did you happen to get a reading off her?”

“I wasn’t really trying.” Rori stared at the door Edda had disappeared through. “She was nervous. She was also very interested in me but trying to hide it.” Rori thought about what she felt. “It was almost like she felt guilty.” The words came to her again. “Was she in on trying to heal me?”

“No, why?”

“I just thought, maybe, that it might be the link. That she felt she’d failed.” Rori studied the lingering sensations closer. Unstable did fit what she experienced off the woman, but a niggling feeling ran across her. Before Rori could pin it down Narrasa walked into the room.